A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the “scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.
In the conventional lithographic projection apparatus, during photolithographic processes, an article, such as a wafer or reticle is clamped on an article support by a clamping force, that may range from vacuum pressure forces, electrostatic forces, intermolecular binding forces or just gravity force. The article support defines a plane, on which the wafer or reticle is held. During the lithographic process, temperature effects may affect image resolution due to a limited focal distance of the projection system. Therefore the article support should ideally be flat.
In the context of this application, the said “article” may be any of the above mentioned terms wafer, reticle, mask, or substrate, more specifically terms such as a substrate to be processed in manufacturing devices employing lithographic projection techniques; or a lithographic projection mask or mask blank in a lithographic projection apparatus, a mask handling apparatus such as mask inspection or cleaning apparatus, or a mask manufacturing apparatus or any other article or optical element that is clamped in the light path of the radiation system.
Conventionally, the article supports are known to be provided with a backfill gas structure in order to enhance the thermal conductivity between the substrate and the article support. However, with increasing irradiation energy levels, the need for thermal conditioning is increasingly difficult to meet.